Posts Tagged ‘pittsburgh’

PITTSBURGH: Plastic Trash Left at Rich Fitzgerald’s Home to Protest Petrochemical Buildout

Sunday, July 11th, 2021

Anonymous submission received on 06.29.21


PITTSBURGH: Plastic trash left at Rich Fitzgerald’s home to protest petrochemical buildout, communique encourages everyone to do the same.

In the middle of the night on Tuesday, June 29th, four trash bags filled with plastic waste were left on the steps of Rich Fitzgerald’s house. The trash bags bore the message “STOP SUPPORTING THE PETRO INDUSTRY.” One can assume that the purpose of the display was to showcase what the Shell Ethane Cracker Plant and any other subsequent petrochemical infrastructure will likely produce: single-use plastic junk. 

There was a communique attached to the display. It read: 

“Residents of SWPA, you are hereby encouraged to drop off any plastic trash you find at 1314 Denniston St, to send the trash to Fitzgerald’s office in downtown Pittsburgh, or to greet him with gifts of plastic trash in person. Instead of letting the plastic end up in our food, water, and bodies, please give it to someone who loves it so much that he wants to see 1.6 billion tons more of it on our planet!”

The writer of this report can only agree with the unknown creator of this display: politicians should take responsibility for the things they advocate for.


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PITTSBURGH: OVER Returns to County Executive’s House, Welcomed by Aggressive Cop Presence

Saturday, June 26th, 2021

Anonymous submission received on 06.21.21


OVER Returns to County Executive’s House, Welcomed by Aggressive Cop Presence

The Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance (OVER), a land defense group based in southwestern Pennsylvania, returned to the house of Rich Fitzgerald, the Allegheny County Executive, to confront him about his response to a letter that OVER recently sent to him, demanding that he rescind his support of fracking and the petrochemical industry. OVER held a press conference with other signatories about their letter to get Fitzgerald’s attention, and his response to the letter was lacking (to say the least). 

OVER organized a house demo much like their first one earlier this year with the goal of speaking directly to Fitzgerald about his support of the deadly petro industry and calling public attention to the cause of banning fracking. The demand specifically was to get Fitzgerald to publicly rescind his support and to sign on to the letter that OVER had composed. OVER and its allies showed up with signs, banners (one saying “Sign the Letter”), a drum, sidewalk chalk, talking points, and their voices. About 20 people attended the demo. They took the street in front of Fitzgerald’s house and chanted for him to appear. 

OVER had announced publicly that they were organizing the demo, so police were expected. However, there was a surprising amount of cops surrounding the small, nonviolent crowd.

When Fitzgerald did not show despite chanting, about 6 attendees decided to approach his door and ring the bell, much like anyone would who wanted to speak with a neighbor. As soon as they reached the door, cop sirens wailed. An unmarked police car that was parked in front of Fitzgerald’s house flashed its lights. One police vehicle quickly came close to the crowd. Two security guards charged forward and yelled at the visitors on Fitzgerald’s porch that they had to leave the property or be arrested. The visitors complied, and the two security guards stood at the steps of the house for the remainder of the demo.

It was quite the spectacle for a small crowd of nonviolent protesters, and showed just what Rich Fitzgerald thinks of people who want to meaningfully address climate change and ecological devastation. While a neighbor proclaimed that Fitzgerald was not home, OVER made sure that Fitzgerald was aware of the time, day, and place of the demo. Fitzgerald could have chosen to be present, to send one of his staff members to be present on his behalf, or to acknowledge the demo publicly in some way. Even a sticky note on the steps saying “hey, sorry I can’t be here. Let’s talk another time,” would have shown more consideration and grace than sicking cops on his deeply concerned, nonviolent constituents.

The writer of this report believes that it is unethical for cops to be in unmarked cars, so they would like to make the community aware of the make, model, and license plate number of the unmarked car that they saw at the demo:

Black Chevrolet Impala
License plate: JHA 0704

Please keep a lookout for this vehicle at actions in the Pittsburgh area. The cop inside of it was very pissy about anyone touching the car. Be safe!



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PITTSBURGH: Over 60 Protestors Still Facing Felony Charges

Sunday, May 30th, 2021

[Submission from the Pittsburgh National Lawyers Guild received on 05.28.21]


Over 60 people have been charged with felonies in Pittsburgh for last summer’s protests.

Most of them aren’t famous. Most of them don’t have hundreds of Instagram followers, or on-line fundraising campaigns, or the backing of large activist organizations. Many of them are facing years in prison for the first and only protest they ever attended. Six of them are confined in Allegheny County Jail. An unknown number are also facing federal charges.

Some of them have private lawyers, but most are dependent on public defenders or the office of conflict counsel. A few have reached plea deals, some more favorable than others. Every one of them took the streets to express their anger and outrage at the police murder of George Floyd, and the vast majority are facing life-shattering consequences as a result.

Elsewhere the things are little different. A year after the George Floyd uprising, prosecutors across the country are still throwing the book at every protester they could get their hands on, aided by a virtual media blackout and the silence of liberal nonprofits.

To raise awareness of this situation, the National Lawyers Guild is circulating a petition (https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/drop-the-charges-blm) to drop all federal charges against Black Lives Matter demonstrators. We ask for organizations and individuals to sign it, and encourage their networks to do the same. In addition the Pittsburgh NLG chapter is raising money for legal support of all local protesters facing felony charges. Please donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/pittsburgh-nlg-felony-defense-fund



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PITTSBURGH: Autonomous Action Report-Back || 04.14.21

Thursday, April 15th, 2021

Anonymous submission received on 04.14.21


A group of about 15-20 comrades in bloc gathered in solidarity with Minneapolis & the family of Daunte Wright as well as expressing support of police /prison abolition in general. There was a brief chat consenting to the goal of the action & assessing the temp of the evening before taking the streets.

The group marched in Shadyside in a randomly chaotic way down busy streets like Ellsworth, Walnut, Fifth ave & eventually back to the original meeting point for a safe dispersal. Cops followed and blocked streets, often blocking 3 out of 4 routes seemingly forcing the group in one direction but at one point they marched towards the police literally forcing the SUV to back up onto fifth ave. Both hilarious & amazing.

Comrades passed out pamphlets/mini zines about abolition to those encountered during the march . Most if not all bystanders were very supportive// no negative “outside agitators” to report. Cops mostly kept their distance and corked streets unnecessarily.

Action felt super fun, not very stressful, autonomous & no set form of leadership or noticeable hierarchy. A++



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The Battle of Four Mile Run || March, 2021 issue of ‘Occupy Pittsburgh Now’

Saturday, March 20th, 2021

Occupy Pittsburgh Now just dropped a new issue.


You can view / download a high-quality PDF of it on their website.





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PITTSBURGH: Anti-Fracking Noise Demo at Rich Fitzgerald’s Home

Tuesday, March 16th, 2021

Submission from Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance (OVER) received on 03.15.21


On Sunday March 14th in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance with the help of several affinity groups held a noise demo outside the home of Allegheny County Executive Richard “Fitz” Fitzgerald to protest his support of the petrochemical industry in Southwestern PA.  The activists chose March 14th to coincide with Pi day (3.14) which is celebrated by science enthusiasts around the world. In honor of Pi day, OVER created a paper mache Pi filled with plastic made to symbolize plastic in the world’s food supply.

Fitzgerald recently made national headlines by responding to Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s’ comments about Pittsburgh and the Paris Climate Agreement by stating “we believe in science around here” and “climate change is real.”  Mainstream news networks grabbed on to these comments and Fitzgerald’s similarity to the actor Jeff Daniels without delving any further into Fitzgerald’s actual record on environmental issues.

Fitzgerald was one of the largest recipients of fossil fuel interest money in the state of Pennsylvania in 2017-2018. In 2014 his administration pushed for fracking underneath a county owned park by Range Resources despite widespread community opposition and a campaign that lasted for eight months.  Fitzgerald also ignored environmental advocates by encouraging fracking near Pittsburgh International Airport and has been a strong supporter along with Donald Trump of the Shell Ethane Cracker Plant in Beaver County Pennsylvania.

The plant is currently under construction and will emit over 2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents every year along with produce 1. 6 million tons of ethylene plastic “nurdles” that are used to make plastic products.  The plant also will receive 1.6 billion dollars in tax breaks from the state of Pennsylvania in exchange for reversing all of the progress the Southwestern Pa has made to combat climate change and for producing more plastic to poison the world’s water and food supply.

Protesters used pots, pans, drums, speeches, chants, and songs to create noise. They also placed door hangers on neighbors’ doors to explain why they were creating such a ruckus.  Neighbors were mostly supportive although one person did attempt to drive through the crowd  Fortunately the bikes blocking the permiter marshalled the driver through the crowd as people called the driver a “jagoff” (Pittsburghese) for not taking another residential side street.

Two members of OVER attempted to confront Fitz by knocking on his door and leading the crowd in a chant to “come out now!”  As expected the lights were on, but Fitz did not show.    


OVER has three demands they are making of Fitzgerald:

  1. Fitzgerald must publicly declare that he was wrong about the economic and environmental consequences of fracking.
  2. He must never again court fracking and petrochemical companies to come to Southwest PA.
  3. Ban fracking on county owned land. 

  To Contact Fitzgerald at his office, call 412-350-6500.

Ohio Valley Environmental Resistance (OVER) is a coalition of climate justice organizations and independent activists who are demanding the cessation of the petrochemical buildout in the Ohio Valley. OVER intends to engage in sustained resistance until its demand is met.

KDKA News Story –  https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/03/15/anti-fracking-allegheny-county-rich-fitzgerald-protest/

Campaign Donations – http://marcellusmoney.org/pac/FRIENDS-OF-RICH-FITZGERALD

Shale Cracker Plant – https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/tag/ethane-cracker/

Deer Lakes Park – https://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsburgh/proposal-to-drill-beneath-deer-lakes-park-raises-questions-of-safety-government-procedure/Content?oid=1708989


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ZINE | Pittsburgh Mutual Aid – Issue #1 (Spring 2021)

Thursday, February 25th, 2021

Submission received from Pittsburgh Mutual Aid on 02.22.21


Imposed, print-ready PDF

Pittsburgh Mutual Aid is a group of autonomous community members helping folks in the Greater Pittsburgh area connect with one another to share resources and get support as we navigate the COVID-19 crisis and ongoing economic impacts.

In this first issue of their new zine, PMA elaborates on the autonomous & anti-capitalist ethic of mutual aid, reflects on the events of January 6, offers some leads for those in Pittsburgh looking to get organized, and more. Check it out!




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COMMUNITY ALERT: Crypto-fascists Discovered in Pittsburgh

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021

Pittsburgh Fash Watch posted the following alert on their twitter on 02.06.21. The dossier linked below is an extesive and well-researched investigation into this local crypto-fascist network.


A community member has published a dossier identifying members of a local group with connections to Operation Werewolf, a white nationalist group.

See a link to the dossier here:

https://cryptpad.fr/file/#/2/file/1lHTJg0BF30CL4nlWoyanxxy/

For more reading on Operation Werewolf, check out this piece here. While the group has claimed to be apolitical, it is certainly not.

Additionally of note, people identified in the dossier have connections to leftist movements in Pittsburgh, including Occupy and this summer’s BLM protests.

Thank you to the people behind the dossier for helping make us safer.




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Cracks in the Steel City: Anarchist News from Pittsburgh || N.1 – D.31

Friday, January 1st, 2021

Cracks in the Steel City is a filler column that recaps local anarchist news that you may have missed while doom-scrolling, with a particular focus on autonomous, illegalist, and insurrectionist activity as well as updates on state repression.

All news content is sourced from anonymous communiqués, social media, police reports, or capitalist media outlets. Because of this, all dates are approximates and may vary in accuracy.

Let us know what we missed.


What Went Down

End of October & November 1

  • A variety of leftist posters and event flyers are wheatpasted across the city in seriously huge numbers. One poster was a beautiful tribute to the memory of our Jewish neighbors who were murdered in the fascist attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. We will outlive them!
  • Filler received dozens of submissions from various crews and individuals competing to steal the most election propaganda.
  • A Subway restaurant in Carrick got robbed. As of this writing, police have yet to identify any suspects.
  • A man wearing a radio earpiece robbed the Dollar Bank at 537 Smithfield Street. As of this writing, Pittsburgh police have yet to identify the suspect.

November 2

  • Several Pittsburgh politicians homes and offices were vandalized with anti-electoral and revolutionary messages. Probably Maoists but interesting regardless.

November 4

  • Filler received this anonymous communiqué:

On N4, about ~50 people interrupted a Socialist Alternative speech for the first militant breakaway march Pittsburgh’s seen in a hot minute. Even though it quickly became clear that this bloc had no consensus of what to do with their brief moment of autonomy – dispersing after a riotous 30 minutes with 3 arrests – it should still be celebrated as the first real break with “the” leadership that has sought the pacification of the movement ever since the riots of May 30 & June 2. This is how we find each other.

November 10

  • KDKA reports “Police Looking For Man Suspected Of Killing Juvenile Probation Officer In East Liberty.” As of this writing, the accused person continues to evade capture.

November 17

  • Anti-fascists clean up MAGA and infowars graffiti in Bloomfield and North Oakland.

November 20

  • Several magistrates’ offices were vandalized in the Pittsburgh area. The post gazette reports, “The front doors & window of the office were damaged, as foam had been sprayed between the double doors, epoxy was poured into the hinges & keyhole…” & the doors were u-locked shut and covered in the message “EVICTION IS VIOLENCE.” One person was arrested for their alleged connection to the action after their vehicle was identified at the scene via security footage. When police searched the vehicle, they claim to have found plans for the action still inside, including maps and a note that read “don’t leave stuff behind, ditch it.” Police suspect that there were other accomplices, but as of this writing they remain unidentified. Nice.

November 23

  • Pittsburgh police raided the home of a local anti-fascist and BLM community organizer without a warrant. The pigs brandished weapons at the comrade’s child and did not Mirandize upon arrest.

November 24

  • Around 1am, an unarmed individual robbed the BP gas station along West Liberty Avenue. As of this writing, Pittsburgh Police have yet to identify a suspect.

November 27

  • Pittsburgh Police report that at around 2am, a man entered the Sunoco on North Craig Street in Oakland, went behind the counter, smashed the register, and stole everything in it.
  • At 5am, another store is robbbed on Banksville Road.

November 29

  • A man suspected of robbing a Rite Aid now faces a slew of charges related to serial robbery. Pittsburgh Police claim that, during interrogation, the alleged suspect confessed to robbing three convenience stores in three days.

November 30

  • An anonymous anti-fascist spots American Defense Skinheads and other Nazi propaganda stickers in the North Side and alerts their community. Several hours later, Filler received the following anonymous communiqué:

Crew removed 15-20 ADS stickers w ‘blood and soil’ & ‘diversity is not our strength’ wording in the 4 square blocks encompassed by E North Ave, Cedar Ave, East St, E Ohio St

December 1

  • Welcome to ACAB World”
  • Filler received an anonymous communiqué and several photographs:

Last night we vandalized 13 parking meters because fuck parking tickets.
With love,
– some anarchists

December 4

  • Pittsburgh Police and local capitalist media resume their pathetic attempts to identify alleged May 30 rioters. A spontaneous campaign to flood the snitch hotline with false tips organically materialized.

December 5

  • Two people robbed a gas station at gunpoint in Bethel Park. One suspect has been arrested. KDKA reports that police are still asking for the public’s help in identifying his alleged accomplice.

December 8

  • Two individuals shoplift over $2,100 in merchandise from a Walmart in Indiana County. As of this writing, police have yet to identify any suspects.

December 10

  • After piece-of-shit-pig Paul Abel got fired from the Pittsburgh Police force, Pittsburgh Fash Watch revealed that he was trying to join the gig economy. A community warning is issued.

December 14

  • The East End is drowned in anti-police slogans and Bleach.

December 15

December 16

  • Anarchist graffiti writer Sappho passes away. Her name still echoes across Pittsburgh’s streets.

December 18

  • A graffiti message declaring solidarity with political prisoners in Denver, Colorado is spotted on the North Side.

December 19

  • Security camera footage circulating on social media shows three individuals with sleds cut a hole in a fence that obstructs access to a steep hill.

December 20

  • After a pig got shot, police retaliate against the entirety of McKeesport, raiding random homes without warrants and establishing illegal checkpoints at major roadways. Shit was fucked, but not surprising. We encourage folks to look at the logistics of what happened and study the counter-insurgency tactics police deployed.

December 22

  • A Washington County convenience store is robbed at gunpoint. As of this writing, police have yet to identify a suspect.
  • A Subway restaurant in Rochester Borough is robbed. As of this writing, police have yet to identify a suspect.

December 31

  • The following report-back is circulating social media:

There’s no better New Year’s Eve tradition than a noise demo, and maybe because of this #FuckCOVID19 year, there was no better noise demo than the one outside Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. Mutual aid projects, begun or solidified during the pandemic, with relationships inside and outside this huge jail’s walls, organized this display of “We 🖤 you” (including the illuminated banner pictured here) with utmost regard for #CollectiveCare from start to finish. The playlist for loud mobile sound system, for instance, was gathered by getting call-in requests from incarcerated folks this past week, and promotion for the demo was via trusted yet diverse circles (rather than social media) based on a framework of what makes for solidarity and a desire to strengthen bonds over the longer haul, including with family supporters of those inside. The approx 100 of us included everything we needed or could have wanted—from medics, scouts, emotional aid, and legal observers to a live samba band, projected words of solidarity, hot chocolate setup, hand warmers, and tons of ways to make noise, light, and dancing. The demo was timed with when folks inside could still call out, so we heard via phone that they could, say, see the “We 🖤 you” banner outside, though that was clear too from the many hands held up inside the jail windows forming heart shapes to us. People inside the multistoried fortress danced along with us, flashed their cell lights off and on, and made quick DIY signs to share outward in reply to us, including one that said “We ❤️ yinz” (a sweet Pittsburgh thing). Our noise and light demo didn’t abolish prisons, or help alleviate the death sentence that prisons have become under COVID-19; it didn’t change this miserable, fascistic world. Yet for about 3 hours, the walls fell just enough to allow joyous connection, and a sense that our love and solidarity is stronger than their cages.


You are not alone. We are everywhere. Find each other.

merry crisis and a happy new fear,
-filler


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D12 Report-Back: Pittsburgh Anti-Fascists on the D.C. Front

Tuesday, December 15th, 2020

[anonymous submission received on 12.15.20]


The following report comes from an anonymous Pittsburgh anti-fascist who participated in the D12 community defense against the Proud Boys in Washington DC.

This report includes the author’s experience of the day’s action, several accounts from others on the ground, and concludes with some critical reflections and lessons learned.


We arrived in DC in the morning on Saturday. After dropping our bags at lodging we walked most of the way to the plaza to scout an approach that would let us bloc up close by. There were already small groups of MAGAs and PBs on the sidewalks although their behavior was relatively subdued.

Once we reached the plaza and were able to get into bloc, we started waiting. SURJ, a DC group, was holding the space. One of their people thanked us for coming out in bloc. People without masks were denied entry to the segment of the plaza antiracists controlled by a bike line backed up by people on foot.

One instance upset the relative calm of the morning. An unmasked man attempted to force his way through the bike line into the plaza. This was opposed by bikes as well as a large group of people. The police seized this as a tactic to throw their weight around and helped the man smash through the bike line and backing crowd of antiracists. No one was arrested though.

The plaza continued to fill with groups of people as noon came and went. The police eventually blocked off I street at 15th and 17th and pulled their northern line out to K Street. This created a much larger space for antifascists to operate in.

Some time after noon, a large crowd of MAGAs/PBs marched by on 15th. The plaza began boiling like an ant hive and what seemed like the whole group went down to confront the fascists from across the police line. This rush of people led to the macing of at least one antiracist by the MPD as they struggled to separate the two groups.

For several hours this continued. A group of fascists would make an appearance a block away, separated from the plaza by a line of police, and antiracists would move to oppose them from across the police line. To editorialize – it seemed like a lot of concern and effort went into these one block mobilizations. While holding the space was a priority, there was never a time when fascists had unhindered access to the plaza, even in the absence of an antifascist response. Regardless, it was fortunate for us that only a few of us were maced during these instances.

At around 4pm, a group no larger than 40 antifascists including many carrying shields, departed BLM plaza with the intended destination of McPherson Square. McPherson was the planned site of a 530pm vigil for Casey Goodson Jr. and Brandon Bernard. As the sun began to set, this group established itself in the square.

It was then learned from people with comrades still in the plaza that after the advance group had left, MPD had rushed the plaza, arresting around five antiracists. After the police backed off, a group of the people remaining in the plaza managed to make it to McPherson Square as well.

The advance team in the square, which included a shield wall, was busy almost immediately upon arrival. A small detachment was tasked with holding the southeast entrance of the park. As that group arrived, they saw a number of kids riding bikes north past the McPherson building. There were MAGAs chasing them. I saw a woman pull a taser out of her pocket and discharge it at the back of a fleeing teen, only to miss. We quickly motioned the kids behind our shield line into the park. At that point a large crowd, a mix of MAGAs and Proud Boys began to come up the street from south near the Sofitel. A runner went to alert the rest of the people in the park. Our numbers could not have been more than 60 all told.

Despite their overwelming numbers and verbal provocations, no Proud Boys attempted to cross 15th St. to the park where our group held the sidewalk. Instead, PBs/MAGAs waited for MPD to put bike lines on both sides of the street, separating the groups. The police dispersed the crowd of MAGAs towards the east on I and south on 15th. Antifascists returned to a more neutral position in the park, waiting for the arrival of the vigil group.

The presence at McPherson slowly swelled as people trickled in for the 530pm vigil. However, reports that a friendly church nearby was under siege by MAGAs pushed more than half of the group there to head north. Others stayed, waiting on the delayed vigil organizers.

When they did arrive, the remaining group began to march as well. Initial fears that the first contingent had been kettled were allayed. According to people in that group, while police did surround them, the appearance of a crowd of fascists pulled away one of the police lines and they were able to leave the area.

This march moved around town for some time, unhindered by police. After a break some ways to the north, the march moved back south in an attempt to return to the plaza. A confrontation with a group of fascists occurred, although the formidable shield wall combined with general numerical superiority [in the immediate area] prevented any real fights. A photo of the confrontation:

As we moved further south, a more serious confrontation arose. At K Street, MAGAs/PBs first presented themselves in small numbers in our direction of travel. However, as police moved to wall them off, more approached from the east. It became hectic as the shield unit attempted to cover multiple directions at once, leading to pockets of shields intermingled in lines with those sans shields. Minor clashes broke out but were separated quickly. Police began to push our group west, requiring a determined withdrawal, towards yet another waiting police line. Instead antifascists made a fast turn north. As the main body of the march streamed up the street ahead of a police line now pushing north, a group of 8-10 fascists moved down the sidewalk to engage.

The following is an account from a person who confronted the fascists:

Police were behind us, shoving us north. A group of approximately 10 PBs came down the street we were going up. I noticed and quickly rallied 5 people to confront them and protect the flank of the march. We assembled a line in the street, facing the sidewalk. The PBs attempted to fight us almost immediately. One ran in and was rebuffed by the center of the line. A second tried to mace the person on the very end of the line. He got his shield up in front of most of it and then smacked the mace-carrier. A second rush at the line was rebuffed with determined shield shoves. At that point, the fight was cut short as the police line pushing from the south reached our detachment, shoving us hard with baton crosschecks to the north.


MPD had now trapped the antifascists in one block. Their southern line was solid, but their northern line was being pressured by a massive crowd of MAGAs/PBs, at least the size of the one that had confronted us to the south. Antifascists waited tensely – we were completely boxed in. But MPD had their hands full. Slowly, their reinforcements arrived and pushed the PBs out of the intersection to the north and east, creating a buffer zone of an intersection.

The following is an account from a participant in the antifascist demonstration:

There was a kid in the “kettle” with us. I say “kettle” because the cops weren’t continuing to squeeze us in nor were they attempting to arrest antifascists at this time. This kid was dressed in street clothes, had a bike, and no other gear. He expressed to me that “he didn’t want to die” and that “he wasn’t supposed to be here”. I did what I could – I pointed out a recessed corner created by a pillar of the building we were next to on the sidewalk. If anything happens, I said, I’ll put my shield on the pillar and cover you. He agreed, but was clearly still in distress.

I decided to exercise all my options. I approached the bike line holding us from the north (and behind whom the west side of the intersection was clear). I communicated that there was a kid with us, who was alone and scared and not even supposed to be here. The police officer indicated that he would not let him leave. However, a few minutes later, a different officer who had overheard, said that the west exit was now considered safe, and after seeing him, allowed him through the line to go home.


At this point, the unruly fascist crowds had been pushed away from the intersection by more MPD. MPD officers then extended an offer to the crowd – passage back through the city to the plaza – although it’s unclear what the alternative was. We slowly made our way back down to the plaza, surrounded by lines of cops. This clearly allowed the PBs/MAGAs to remain free to prey on people and roam more freely. However, it also meant that our march contingent made it back to the plaza. Once there, people relaxed. Someone ordered a stack of pizzas and the grubhub driver somehow got through the police line unmaligned with the food.

There was a small incident where a lone MAGA entered the plaza and was pushed back by protesters. Police who came forward were then forced back the antifascist shield wall. Once they were forced back to the edge of the plaza at J St, there was a brief respite before police charged in, arresting one person and pushing the shield wall back. At this point, a lively debate among protesters took place as to whether the shields should hold the space at a reasonable standoff distance from the police line at J or whether it was better to pull back to the center at I. Eventually the crowd backed off. 

Dispersal at this point was a dilemma. Any large group marching out would attract both state and PB attention, but small groups trying to be stealthy could be jumped by roving PBs. Eventually though, the waiting game seemed to win out. An attempt was made to get people going in similar directions to group up for as long as they could for safety, which was reasonably successful. Our group successfully left the plaza and navigated without incident back to our lodging, encountering PBs only at a distance across a traffic circle.


Observations, Critiques, and Lessons Learned

  1. Between 12 and 3, most of the plaza’s occupants repeatedly flowed to the edge of the plaza when MAGAs would pass by. In one instance, multiple people were maced as cops failed to form a proper line and deployed mace to cover their mistakes. It’s unclear what this accomplished. 
  2. Flocking behavior to individual MAGAs at many points during the day was excessive. Distracting 20 people for 1 MAGA while in a supremely hostile environment was wasteful and potentially dangerous.
  3. Shields leaving when they did for McPherson may have opened the plaza to attack. Should have been communicated better that they were marching out or coordinated a more complete emptying of the plaza to go to the vigil/march.
  4. Decision to take more than half of the McPherson contingent north without the shields, who were waiting on the group that had called for the vigil at McPherson was very nearly disastrous. Splitting the party with that many fash around is risky.
  5. Proud Boys really don’t want to fight you if you’re looking ready and in a group that’s even half the size as theirs. At multiple points, the PBs could have engaged in a general melee with a large but still heavily outnumbered group of antifascists and they chose not to. 
  6. There still weren’t enough counterprotesters out. There were loads of bloc but without more liberal support the fash will continue to have a heavy numbers advantage. This puts us in the awkward position of being bailed out by the police separating the two groups.
  7. It was absolutely galling to accept what essentially was a police escort back to BLM plaza. Necessary, but frustrating.

In Solidarity,
– A Pittsburgh Anti-fascist





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